How has mental illness impacted your life?
For years I have suffered from depression but about 8 yrs. ago my son was diagnosed with Bi-Polar,paranoia and anxiety. When did this start? When he was a child and in Grade 2 put on Ritilin which I weaned him off since he was driving the family nuts or in later years?As a grown up I did not see him on a regular basis as I lived in a different area but he phoned me one day and when I saw him I thought “This is not my son”. He was such a happy-go-lucky, funny child and this person was obnoxious, agitated and I couldn’t say anything positive since he would start yelling and it was “Don’t tell me what to do”. Over the years I have learned to just listen when he rants. He only goes to a GP because he likes him and does not trust psychiatrists therefor has been on many different medication but doesn’t stick to them as he reads the side effect. Right now he is going through a bad time but I am the only one in the family except my sister who is a retired nurse to help him in any way. The rest of the family and his friends just think he is a jerk. He is inventive, musical, loves writing poems and lyrics for songs and enjoys drawing but all this falls by the wayside when he is in this mode. I have had counselling, read about Bi Polar and paranoia but nobody else has so I deal with it by myself and use my sister as a sounding board.
What is the biggest misconception about mental illness?
People who think someone is either a drug addict or alcoholic and stay clear of them. They don’t understand that someone, who may be your relative, friend, neighbour is suffering from mental illness. In many cases some of these people who are drug addicts or alcoholics are mentally ill and go through the addiction route to alleviate their mental outlook on life.
What needs to happen to end the stigma and shame associated with mental illness?
Put more information out into the public starting at the schools.
Why should people (who think they are unaffected) care about mental illness?
They should care because it costs the health care system millions of dollars in treating people and it could avoid the number of suicides that take place now.
What would you say to someone who is suffering from mental illness and doesn’t know where to turn?
I would tell them to first go to their family doctor and explain exactly how they feel and that they can’t cope. I finally did when I was a basket case and my sister who is a retired nurse picked up on it. I saw the psychiatrist at the hospital who in turn sent me to one in my community. I went on a regular basis for a few months and got on medication BUT now you only get a visit once in a blue moon and it needs to be on-going and consistent until the person is on the path to recovery.
What has helped you manage your mental illness?
I have done a lot of reading on the subject of depression and also Bi-polar, paranoia since my son was diagnosed with that. I have been on Prozac for years now and am sure if I weren’t I would fall to pieces especially since I am dealing with my son.
What gives you hope for your mental illness?
I have hope since I have such caring people in our health care system where I live.
Questions and comments
Back in the 1970’s (I believe) the Government in their wisdom closed the schools for children with disabilities and the hospitals where mentally adults went. Are many of these people able to cope in society. No. I had a friend who’s son went to a special school and when it was closed he did not want to go to a regular school even though his brothers were going there. Why are all these people out on the streets? Because they can’t fit into society and some never will. Who benefited by integrating these people with mental challenges into the communities? In many cases it is not them. When I went to school we did not have any children with mental problems in our classes. Now the teachers have 3 or 4 who disrupt their teaching. Those who are slow at grasping concepts cannot have individual attention because the teacher is busy with challenged students. We had 42 children in my class for a couple of years but the average was 28 and we all learned. How many of these challenged students go on to university or get jobs?
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